Cribbage scorekeeper



Patented Mar. 4, 1952 2,587,618 CRIBBAGE SCOREKEEPER Robert Roy Hicks,Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application May- 19, 195

In Canada M 4- Claims. (01. 235-418) My invention relates toimprovements in score-keeping devices and particularly pertains to;apparatus for recording the tallyof the individual players during a gameof cribbage.

The invention has. for an object toprovide a score-keeping device ofthis kind comprising a frame or case having a succession of peggingholes numbered from one to ten for registering a score or fractionthereof in units and combined with, a mechanical counter in the natureof a wheel numbered circumferentially from zero to one hundred andtwenty in tens and having a portion of its circumference exposed to viewthrough a framed opening. Said wheel is pro vided with ratchet teethengaged with an ac tuator which isarranged for depression by a peginserted in the tenth pegging; hole aforesaid. Depression of theactuatorserves to advance the wheel apart of a turn in order that thenumerals carried by thhe wheel will be successively ex-. posed to viewthrough the framed opening.

With this arrangement a player can readily indicate the total number ofpoints scored as successive hands are played in a game of cribbage. Forexample, if a player scores nine points in the first hand then this isindicated by inserting a peg in the pegging hole of this numher, and ifeighteen points is scored in the second hand then the aggregate scorefor the two hands of twenty-seven points would be indicated by removingthe peg and inserting it in the tenth hole and depressing it twice so asto bring the figure twenty into the framed. op nin Wh reupon the peg, isremoved and. placed in the number seven pegging hole. By reading thenumber p rin in he. framed. opening. n m ntal y adding the number of thepegged hole the score of twenty-seven points is indicated. In this waythe score of the player can be kept throughout the game in an easy andquick manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article of this kindconstructed with a pocket for holding a deck of playing cards, and inwhich duplicate score-keeping devices are provided, one for each player.

With these and subsidiary objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of parts as described in the ensuingspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front end view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectionized fragmentary plan view of the device showing thenism.

mechanical mecha- 0, Serial No. 162,917

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the selected embodiment of the invention the device embodies a framedopen ng A formed in the top wall B of a case or the like which isgenerally indicated at C. Said opening is disposed at the front of achamber D, which is formed, in part by the inner side Wall E and outerwall A wheel G is rotatably mounted in said chamber by an axle H locatedso that an area. of the periphery is exposed at the opening A. On theperiphery of said wheel here is provided a zero marking and a se quenceof numbers reading from ten to one bun-- tired and twenty in tens asdenoted at I.

Said wheel is supplied with a circular series of one-way ratchet teethJ, one of which is engaged byact-uator K. The actuator is shown as atorsional spring having a coiled portion L se cured in said chamber by afastener M. One arm N of the actuator is suitably fixed in order thattheother arm 0 is caused to be. vertically tensioned in upward directionagainst the head of a. pin P. j shoulders it i the top wall of saidcham- The shank of the pin is slidahly fitted in a hole Q in the. topwall in order that it may bev depressed to lower the biased arm 0 forcausing it to fractionally turn the wheel (3- through an angle equal toa tooth. The teeth correspond to the numbering on the wheel and witheach depression of the pin the wheel is advanced to bring the succeedingnumber into, view within the framed opening or sight A. A pawl or clickR operates to preclude retrograde movemeritv or the wheel. The pawl orclick is represented as a resilient wire element but could be otherwisemade up since such an expedient is well known. It will be noted fromFigure 5 that the pin P is disposed below the upper end of the hole Qwhich enables, an ordinary peg S to be inserted in the hole fordepressing the pin.

The hole Q is one of a series of pegging holes, ten in number, which areformed in the top wall B and preferably arranged in a circle. The hole Qis numbered 10 and the other holes, indicated at T, are numbered fromone to nine, as

to hold the peg S convenient for use in the playing of a game. When thescore-keeping device is not in use the peg is stored in a hole V in thefront end of the frame or case Csee Figure 1.

From the preceding description it will be understood that the indexwheel G co-operates with the pegging holes Q and T in indicating thetally.

For example, to indicate a score of 18 points the player inserts the pegin the hole Q and depresses the pin P thereby causing the arm of theactuator to turn the wheel from zero to 10. The peg is then placed inhole 8. Further, if 9 points are scored by the player in the next handthe peg is again used to operate the wheel to bring the the number 20into the sight A and then the peg is placed in the hole marked 7, whichshows a total of 2'! points. A tally is kept in this manner throughoutthe game. The case C is desirably provided with a set of numbered holesas at W in which another peg can be placed to denote the games won.

It will be seen from are two score-keeping the drawings that theredevices embodied in the case, one for each player. A cavity is formed inthe case between the inner walls E, which is closed at one end by therear wall X and open at the other in order to provide a pocket Y inwhich a deck of playing cards can be placed when not in use. The pocketis closed at the front end by a cover in the form of a slide plate Y.The side plate also covers the apertures in which the pegs are storedwhen' not wanted. As customary,

the peg used for indicating games won may be placed in a hole as at 2 atthe start of play.

The invention provides a highly serviceable and practical device forkeeping score in cribbage. It is not intended however to limit the useof the device and it will be manifest that such changes and variationsof the invention may be resorted to as fairly come within the scopeofthe claims.

What I claim is:

1. A score-keeping device comprising a chambered case having a top wallapertured to provide a plurality of numbered pegging holes and a sightleading to the chamber, a wheel jou'rnalled in said chamber to expose aperipheral area in said sight, said wheel bearing a circumscribingseries of numbers for successively registering with said sight inrotative movement of the wheel, a pin slidably engaged in one of saidpegging holes and terminating short of the upper end thereof, meansrestraining said pin against upward movement, and actuating means insaid case for imparting a fractional turn to said wheel, said actuatingmeans including a self returning element positioned beneath said pin andmovable downwardly thereby when the pin is depressed for imparting afractional turn to said wheel. I

2. A score-keeping device comprising a chambered case having a top wallapertured to provide a resilient actuator in said a plurality ofnumbered pegging holes and a sight leading to the chamber, a wheeljournalled in said chamber to expose a peripheral area in said sight,said wheel bearing a circumscribing series of numbers for successivelyregistering with said sight in rotative movement of the wheel, one wayratchet teeth on said wheel, an actuator in said chamber having a memberresiliently engaged with said teeth and operable on depression to rotatesaid wheel fractionally in one direction, a pin slidably fitted in oneof said pegging holes and engaged with said actuator whereby to depresssaid member thereof, and means for preventing said wheel from turning inreverse direction.

3. A score-keeping device comprising a chambered case having a top wallapertured to provide a plurality of numbered pegging holes and a sightleading to the chamber, a wheel journalled in said chamber to expose aperipheral area in said sight, said wheel bearing a circumscribingseries of numbers for successively registering with said sight inrotative movement of the wheel, one-way ratchet teeth on said wheel,chamber, said actuator having a first arm and sioned by an interposedcoil, said second arm being affixed relative to the first arm and saidcoil being fastened to said case, said first arm being engaged with saidratchet teeth and operable on depression to rotate said wheelfractionally in one direction, a pin slidably fitted in one of saidpegging holes and engaged with said first arm to depress the same whenpressed by a peg, and means for preventing said wheel from turning in areverse direction.

4. -A structure as defined in claim 3, in which the pegging holes arecircularly arranged and numbered from one to ten, and in which the wheelis numbered from ten to one-hundred and.

twenty in tens.

ROBERT ROY HICKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 219,258 Harrison Sept. 2, 1879295,488 Daugherty Mar. 18, 1884 578,906 Wood Mar. 16, 1897 835,218Edsall Nov. 6, 1906 1,738,909 Kurz Dec. 10, 1929 a second arm ten-

